Fueling with propane autogas results in an estimated 40% reduction in smog-producing hydrocarbon emissions in light-duty vehicles compared with gasoline and an 80% reduction in heavy-duty vehicles compared with diesel. Public transportation fleets are adopting propane autogas to reduce harmful emissions, cut fuel costs, and decrease dependence on foreign oil.

“Propane autogas is a proven fuel that fleets trust to reduce emissions and deliver strong fuel savings,” PERC Chief Business Development Officer Tucker Perkins said. "Our inaugural award winners are models in the public transportation sector of how propane autogas is improving the economic and environmental well-being of citizens and communities nationwide. Propane autogas works for America’s cities."

Perkins presented the awards to attending representatives at a ceremony Wednesday morning at Chicago’s Navy Pier. The public fleets were individually recognized for their achievements in reducing emissions and dependence on diesel and gasoline.

Metro Cars in Detroit displaces more than 520,000 gallons of petroleum each year and operates more than 200 propane-autogas-fueled vehicles, including 13 transit buses converted by ICOM.

By fueling with propane autogas, Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, displaces 2.5 tons of particulate matter, 11 tons of nitrogen oxide, and almost nine tons of carbon dioxide each year. The airport operates 19 propane autogas shuttle buses with plans to convert its remaining six diesel buses.

Unified Government of Wyandotte County near Kansas City, Kan., operates 15 propane autogas vehicles, including 13 transit buses. The county saves approximately $100,000 in annual fuel costs and displaces more than 50,000 gallons of gasoline annually.

For more information on BusCon and the propane autogas awards, visit www.busconexpo.com. To learn more about propane-autogas-fueled bus fleets, visit autogasusa.org.

The CTfastrak transit system provides direct service to and from Waterbury, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol, Plainville, New Britain, Newington, West Hartford, Hartford, East Hartford and Manchester with routes that take advantage of the bus-only CTfastrak roadway.

ABQ RIDE is looking to model its plan after the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s HealthLine, which is sponsored through a hospital partnership. Construction on the so-called ART system could begin in May 2016 with an in-service date of September 2017.